Salvation Army is thankful for support
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STEUBENVILLE -- The Salvation Army of Steubenville is looking forward to new adventures this year and thankful for recent support demonstrated during the holiday, according to Lt. Erik Muhs, who serves as pastor/corps officer along with his wife, Barri Vazquez-Muhs.
Fresh on the heels of the Christmas season, Muhs expressed gratitude for the outcome of the red kettle campaign, which, despite many ups and downs, exceeded its goal by more than $500.
"We had several families, individuals and a few companies join as extra volunteers to our typical daily force," Muhs said. "Parents wanted to show their children what giving back to the community really meant. So many families stayed out all day working in shifts to cover the 10 hours of standing that is done on a typical day. Also, we had an anonymous donor match one of our local stands, matching dollar for dollar what was made at Kroger in Wintersville on Dec. 22," he said.
"That day our kettle collected $860, which was matched dollar for dollar. While many people would like to say the economy is getting better every day, I believe people's hearts grow bigger at Christmas time, and because of this, our $50,000 goal was not only met, but exceeded by $666.27," he said.
"We would love to thank every donor who gave at a kettle, everyone who mailed in a check or those who stopped by with a few dollars in their wallet and decided to give, and most of all those who stood to ring the bell, whether it was one hour or 10," Muhs said. "Without you, this abundance would have never been possible. With these funds we can now help the hundreds of families who come to our building every month looking for emergency food. With the federal government partially shutdown, we can aid those who haven't before had to deal with the issue of not being able to stretch a dollar. Our doors can continue to be open every Sunday to feed those at our 12:30 p.m. Shepherd's Table soup kitchen.
Muhs thanked businesses for allowing the Salvation Army to stand at their locations. "Without them we wouldn't be able to collect these vital funds." He also applauded Steubenville High School for its role in collecting more than 4,700 canned food items as part of "Fill the Big Red Kettle" campaign.
"This will not only allow us to save on purchasing these items, but it shows that even the youngest of our county know what it means to truly love and serve their community," Muhs said.
Like the Thanksgiving meal, the New Year's Day free dinner for anyone in the community was served at the facilities at 332 N. Fourth St.
"Starting around 8 a.m. ovens were going, roasters were dialed in, and pots were boiling to cook a fantastic meal for anyone who was in need on New Year's Day," Muhs said, noting many returning volunteers have been involved for decades. "This year the Second Baptist Church of Steubenville sent more than a dozen participants of their woman's reach-out group to aid us in serving meals," he said. "They served, cooked, waited tables and sat down and chatted with folks, all out of their love for Jesus." Muhs said they also helped sort canned goods collected during the Christmas season.
"A total of 155 meals were served to individuals of all backgrounds and walks of life," Muhs said. "Both on Thanksgiving Day and New Year's Day, people can come in and eat a meal in our dinning room, but they also can take one home with them in order to continue to be fed through holidays when many other places are closed. This year we served about 60 less than what we did in 2018, but the outpouring of community support was exciting, and the relationships made between the Salvation Army and other churches and organizations is invaluable. This may lead to even bigger and better meals served in the future," Muhs said.
The Salvation Army's Christmas distribution this was year was hailed a major success.
"We received the names of 68 families who signed up for food boxes and presents for children," Muhs said. "However, not only were the 118 children who signed up given all the gifts they asked for, thanks to the generosity of the community, we were able to aid another 30 plus families with gifts the day after our original distribution took place," he said. "The kindness and giving of all individuals who took an angel tree tag off of a tree and filled every gift that was on the card left us in awe," he said of his and his wife's reaction to such generosity. "We couldn't have done it without the retailers, banks, government agencies, restaurants and many other locations that allowed us to place tags for the public to purchase the needed gifts."
With a new year under way, the Salvation Army staff and volunteers are excited to see what new and positive adventures are in store, he said.
"Some of our resolutions include increased community reach-out," Muhs said. "We have the desire to be present in all neighborhoods of our community which makes up most of central Jefferson County. We want people to know that we aren't just a building lying in the shadow of Big Red downtown. But we are and will be continuing our former general's vision to not be soldiers stuck in their citadel, but be a light on a hill for all to see," he said.
"Another desire we continue to seek is partnering with other churches and organizations in our areas of influence," Muhs said. "We want to share what other organizations are doing during our community soup kitchen. We want people to receive all the help that they can get from throughout Jefferson County and throughout the Ohio Valley. We don't want to go it alone as a wolf without a pack. Instead, we want to be a support not only for our own goals, but the vision of success for all in our community," he continued.
"Finally, we want to grow our congregation. Since arriving in July of 2017 to now, our congregation has doubled in size," he said. "We are looking to do the same or better in 2019. There is still plenty of room in our pews and programs, and the possibilities are endless with the help and guidance for God's work through the Salvation Army," he said.
"We are looking forward to continuing our partnership with the Sycamore Youth Center and the Ohio Valley Youth Network in assisting in programs and leading programs for those children who attend the youth center," Muhs said, noting he and his wife look forward to bringing the Salvation Army's proven Christian-based scouting programs to the Sycamore Center.
"This program is for children to learn from a variety of areas that they may not receive otherwise, things such as civic responsibility, Bible knowledge, team sports, individual sports and much more," he said. "We continue to serve the men and women of Steubenville and beyond with our weekly adult groups. Both men and women can gather at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays for either men's club (16 and above) or women's ministries, the same ages." He said the groups follow a four-fold approach, with fellowship, service, worship and education as the main pillars to make a group successful.
"We are looking into the future and already are gearing up for our spring break Vacation Bible School at the MLK Recreation Center. This will be for children in elementary school who want to have fun and learn a little bit more about what God can do and through for every age," Muhs said. For information about the Salvation Army, call (740) 282-5121.